


Finding Love Along The Way

by bluehairedbaby (orphan_account)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bad Boy Louis Tomlinson, Coming Out, Cute Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Endgame Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Innocent Harry, Louis Tomlinson Loves Harry Styles, M/M, larry stylinson fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 12:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24970006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/bluehairedbaby
Summary: Louis Tomlinson is tough. Really, he is. After years of teaching himself how not to care, he's learnt that breaking hearts over sheer boredom is a strong suit of his. But when he starts having real feelings for the first time, the new neighbor across the street helps him break his walls down for the first time in years.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

Louis sighed as he sealed the envelope, yet another letter he never intended to send out. Handwritten, but never addressed or even signed by name. He’d be mortified if anybody ever found them. That’s why they went straight into the bottom drawer of his desk, underneath the older binders and notebooks. 

He’d gotten the idea to write them in the first place from one of his old mates, someone he’d had a falling out with over some girl who ended up dumping Louis anyway. At the time, he’d just laughed. Because honestly, it was a joke. His friend had been making fun of someone who’d been told to write letters for therapy, and, you know, like a douche, Louis had laughed along. That’s what everyone else was doing, after all. He felt awful, but he had to admit, the idea sprung into his mind, and now there he was, sitting at his desk with almost a hundred letters inside the bottom drawer of his desk. There were even more stuffed inside a shoebox, hidden in the back of his closet, and even in a box below the bed. He’d never actually counted them. They didn’t really hold any emotional value to him, except holding the words he always wanted to say, all the apologies he owed. 

This letter in particular was addressed to a certain girl, around his age: Emma Baker. She was nice, pretty, and smart, practically the perfect girlfriend. She cared, and that was more than Louis could say about most of his previous relationships. But something wasn’t right. It just didn’t settle right within his stomach, and he always felt guilty for leading her on. So, in possibly one of the jerkiest things he’d ever done in his entire life, he pretended he’d fallen for a different girl. She’d cried. He felt bad, he just didn’t know how to explain to her what he was feeling. 

That was written down in this letter. An explanation and an apology for everything he put her through because of his own feelings. He just figured at the time that it would be easier to admit to being a player than admit he was no longer in love with her. It was almost expected of him to. All his mates would try and tempt him, forcing pictures of scantily clad women in his face or pointing out the prettiest girls in class. Most of the time, he just played along, letting them have their fun. But in the end, with the combined pressure of being in a relationship he wasn’t confident would last or even end happily and his mates being total dicks about it, he cracked. He ended his relationship with Emma, a total of almost two months and gave in to his friends, chatting up one of the senior girls. He was almost eighteen, and they kept pointing out the older girls, telling him to “shoot his shot.”

He laughed dryly, leaning over to open the drawer, stuffing the letter next to the others. As if. He was only a week out of a relationship, he wouldn’t have any trouble keeping it in his pants. And those senior girls weren’t right for him. He just knew it from the way they’d stare at him and his mates with disdain. Most of them had boyfriends anyway, and the single ones certainly weren’t looking to rush into a relationship with an immature, younger boy. Besides, Louis knew how they talked about him, making fun of his fringe until he started brushing it upwards into a quiff, pointing out with every chance they got how much shorter he was than the other blokes his age, laughing at his glasses until he stopped wearing them, or at how much younger he looked. Louis knew it was stupid to get bothered by stuff like that. His mates made the same jokes, and he tried to laugh along, but he wished they would stop sometimes. It wasn’t his fault all of them were so confident in what they looked like that they thought it was ok to tease him.

Letters weren’t stuff to talk about them with. Insecurities were definitely not something to confide with them in. Not when he was almost an adult. He knew that he had to just grow up, be a man. And maybe one day, he wouldn’t have to write letters. He could just stop caring what everyone thought about him. 

It sounded great in theory, but he wasn’t sure about the whole heartbreaker thing yet. Another man void of any care for others’ feelings, a perfect addition. Just what society needed. 

He rolled his eyes. He was probably reading too much into it. But what did it even matter? He was still Louis Tomlinson. He was still going to go back to school on Monday and hang out with his mates and pretend like nothing happened between him and Emma, and he was going to have to name some girl that he’d fallen for. Maybe it would be the shy girl in the back of his chemistry class. No, that would be cruel if they pressured him into asking her out. He’d have to come up with a name soon, even if he didn’t want to.

With a sigh, he shut the drawer. It closed with a loud noise, but he didn’t even flinch. He turned back to his desk, the random papers and pens scattered across the surface. There was an ink stain on the corner, smudged from years of trying to rub it off. It happened when he was younger and one of his pens started leaking, and in his haste he tried to wipe it off but only ended up rubbing it into the wood. He’d placed a book over it for about a year, until he found himself slowly starting to care less about hiding it from his mum. She noticed it occasionally but she never seemed to make a big deal out of it. She’d wonder how it got there, and he’d shrug it off. It wasn’t a big deal, and he didn’t necessarily want to have a heart to heart with his mum over a fucking ink stain. 

He opened the first drawer. This was where he kept his important things. Namely, his headphones, his glasses for when he needed them, and the pack of cigarettes he was hiding from his mum. He didn’t even smoke- well, he had once- he just kept it in case of a situation where he might need it. He had no idea what sort of situation would require him to have a pack of cigarettes handy, but that was his only reason for keeping them. 

With a sigh, he grabbed the headphones, plugging them into his iPod. He scrolled through his music, finally choosing the Coldplay album. He leaned back into his seat, listening as the guitar riff began to play, starting the song. He huffed, swallowing as he yanked the headphones out of his ears. It wasn’t enough. It needed to be louder. 

He had a speaker in the closet, and he got up, grabbing it. Hooking the iPod up, he lay back on his bed as loud music filled the room. Chris Martin’s vocals with the guitar riffs overlaid helped soothe him, and he stared at the football poster on the wall opposing his bed, eyes drearily glancing over the player’s green and white uniform. He was focusing on the player’s cleats as the door opened. 

He turned, cocking an eyebrow. Lottie stood in the doorway, the light from the hallway shining through, framing her. The lights in his room were off, and he didn’t appreciate the brightness shining through the door. She glared at him. “Your music’s too loud,” she said. “Can you turn it down?” He shrugged. “What if I don’t want to?” He asked. 

“Fizzy and I are trying to watch the telly,” she said, “please turn it down.” He sighed, turning to grab the speaker. But instead of doing like she asked, he only turned it up louder. He turned back on his side, staring up at her and arching his eyebrows. She pursed her lips, narrowing her eyebrows angrily as she stamped her foot against the ground. “Fuck off,” he muttered. 

“Mum!” She cried, turning out of the room without closing the door. He sighed angrily, shutting the music off as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Shit,” he cried, racing after Lottie as she ran down the stairs. She was fast, and ran far ahead of him, reaching their mum first. She was holding one of the twins, Louis recognized her as Phoebe. She had the gap between her teeth, not Daisy. 

“Mum!” Lottie cried again. Jay turned, holding Phoebe on her hip as she looked at her son and daughter up and down. She arched a brow. “Yes?” She asked slowly. 

“Lou’s got his music up too loud,” Lottie cried, “Fizz and I are trying to watch a movie.” Jay turned to her son, sighing. “Louis,” she addressed her son slowly and calmly, keeping her voice low, “is there a reason you can’t turn your music down for the sake of your sisters?” He shrugged. “Why should I have to?” He asked. She gave him a look. “Because it’s the polite thing to do,” she said. “Do you want me to take away your iPod? I can.”

“No,” he protested. She sighed, turning to Lottie. “Why don’t you go back upstairs and watch your movie?” she suggested, and Lottie nodded, smiling smugly at Louis before she took off into a run, going back upstairs. Louis sighed in frustration, turning back to his mum after watching his sister run up the stairs. She gave him a look, setting Phoebe down on the ground and taking her hand. The toddler looked up at Louis, very cute-looking. Louis smiled weakly at her. He wasn’t completely cold-hearted. 

“Follow me,” Jay said, “I wanna talk to you.” Louis sighed, following his mum and sister into the living room. Daisy sat down on the carpet, playing with her blocks. Phoebe toddled over in her twin’s direction, plopping down beside her and immediately reaching to help build her castle out of those wooden blocks. 

Jay turned to Louis. “I want to talk about your attitude lately,” she said sternly. He sighed, rolling his eyes. She snapped her fingers, pointing. “That’s what I’m talking about,” she said. “You’ve lost respect for me and your sisters. Your dad and I have been talking about this, and we’ve run out of ways to deal with this.”

“What’s the problem?” He asked. She crossed her arms, sighing. “You’ve been distant lately,” she said sadly, “I just miss when you’d come and talk with us just for the sake of talking to us. You’re hiding in your room most of the time, or you’re off with your friends.” She reached out a hand, cupping his cheek. He glanced away when she touched his face, and she pursed her lips, looking even sadder than before. “I’m just sad that you don’t want to talk to us anymore,” she explained. “Is something going on?” She locked eyes with him. “You know you can tell me anything.”

“Nothing’s going on,” Louis lied. He swallowed hard. “I’m just tired, I guess.”

“Well, can you please try to be a little kinder to your sisters?” Jay asked. “And maybe come down and talk to us every once in a while?” Louis sighed, looking down at the ground. “Ok,” he said. She smiled at him, her lips forming a thin line. 

He turned to leave, but she stopped him. “Don’t leave yet, please,” she asked, “stay and talk with me awhile.” He sighed, but took a seat at the table, sitting down while she watched the twins from over the counter. 

He glanced out the window, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. A large moving van stood in front of the house right across the street from them, which was weird. Louis thought the Danver’s lived there, the older couple with the cats. “Hey, Mum,” he called, not looking away. “Are the Danver’s moving?” She chuckled. “They moved away five months ago,” she answered, “you’re a little late with that.” He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Wow,” he said, “didn’t see that one coming.”

“Why don’t you go and introduce yourself?” She suggested. He shrugged. “Why should I?” He asked. “S’ common courtesy,” she said, “all part of being a good neighbor. Here,” she said, walking over with a container, full of cookies. “Why don’t you take them these and go introduce yourself? And talk to them,” she instructed firmly, “don’t just pop in and then run off. Ask if they need help with their boxes or whatnot.”

He sighed. “Fine,” he said. Taking the box of cookies, he walked across the room to the front door, walking out into the drizzling street. Clouds gathered over his head, but the rainfall was light, and he barely even got wet as he walked across the street. The house he was walking towards was almost like his own, maybe a little bigger and nicer. The door was wide open, and he could see the empty hallways leading into the house. It was weird, seeing the clear absence of decorations or photos or furniture. He caught a glimpse of cardboard boxes stacked in the far corner. 

He walked all the way up to the front door, pausing as he approached the house. He bit his lip nervously. Nobody was there, save for a couple people helping them move boxes from the van into the house. He sighed. He;d just tell his mum he’d have to come back later. He wasn’t about to walk inside uninvited just to drop off a stupid tin of cookies. He turned around, but felt someone run into him. Knocked backwards, he fell back against the doorway, glancing up. 

He locked eyes with a green eyed boy, almost his height, maybe a tiny bit younger than he was. He grinned apologetically at Louis, and he was blushing with embarrassment. “M’ sorry,” he said, “didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“No, don’t worry,” Louis said, grinning. He held out a hand. “M’ fine. My name’s Louis, by the way.” The other boy smiled at him, shaking his hand. “I’m Harry,” he said. “I just moved in.”

“Fun,” Louis said, “I live across the street. Um, I wanted to bring you guys these,” he said, holding out the tin of cookies. “My mum made some cookies for you.” Harry smiled, taking the tin into his hands. “Thanks,” he said, “I’ll be sure to return this as soon as I can.”

Louis smiled. “Where are you moving from?” He asked. 

“Holmes Chapel,” Harry answered. “My mum got a new job here, so the whole family’s moving up here.”

“How many family members are there?” Louis said, feeling actually happy to talk to a complete stranger for once. “Well, my mum and my stepdad,” Harry answered, “and my sister.”

“Nice,” Louis said. “I have four younger sisters.” Harry’s eyes widened. “Wow,” he laughed, “that’s a lot.” Louis nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “S’ definitely a lot.”

“Harry?” A woman called. The boys turned, met with the sight of a beautiful woman, with the same green eyes as Harry. Presumably Harry’s sister. She was certainly pretty, and maybe (although it was cruel to already start planning this) if she ended up going to Louis’ school, she could be his next target. 

“Hi, Mum,” Harry called cheerfully, and Louis’ heart dropped. He was off by quite a long shot. She misled warmly. “Who’ve you got here?” She asked, turning to face Louis. He grinned back, flashing one of his toothy smiles. “I’m Louis,” he said. “I love across the street, I just wanted to say hi.”

She smiled at him. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Louis,” she said. “I’m about to make a pitcher of lemonade, do you want to join us?” 

He thought about it for a minute, and then decided,  _ fuck it.  _

“Yeah, that sounds great,” he said, “thanks.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Louis stayed with them, watching and sitting patiently as Harry’s mum made lemonade for them. He learned the family’s names: obviously, Harry was the son, Gemma was his sister, Robin was his stepdad and Anne was his mum. They were all very nice, and Louis had gotten a chance to speak to all of them individually. It was interesting to see the difference in their personalities. 

Harry was bright and energetic. He was funny, even borderline goofy, and he just seemed to love making people laugh. Louis hadn’t even known him for an hour yet, but he already felt comfortable and at home around the boy. As it would turn out, he was fifteen, two years younger than Louis. It was surprising. Louis figured that Harry was a little older at least, considering how tall and, well, older-looking Harry was. And they liked some of the same things, like music. Harry had a vinyl form of the same Coldplay album Louis had been listening to before he came out of his room. It was nice to find someone who shared some common interests with Louis, and he felt like he might’ve found a new friend. 

Anne was calm and firm, not to mention caring. She was patient, taking the time to make lemonade and wait until people were done talking and introducing themselves. She was nice and pretty, and Louis liked her as well. She reminded him of his own mum. 

Gemma was like Anne, but younger and more sharp-tongued. It was all in good humor, though. She’d only popped in for a minute to tell her mum and brother that she and Robin were going to get some things from storage and she’s taken a few seconds to briefly introduce herself to Louis. Harry said something, and Gemma quipped back at him before she was off, closing the door behind her. Louis smiled after she left. She was funny, and pretty, like her mum. Maybe she’d go to Louis’ school, and she could be his newest romantic interest. Louis still had a couple reservations about the plan, seeing as Harry was nice and he’d like to be friends with him, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk his friendship with Harry over breaking his sister’s heart for fun. Of course, Gemma would have to like Louis first, the whole plan kinda depended on that. 

From what Louis had heard about Robin, he was like Anne, caring and loving to his kids. It was nice to hear that, and Louis thought highly of him so far. He hoped to be able to meet him. Maybe one day, Louis could arrange dinner between Harry’s family and his own parents. Louis wasn’t sure he’d want all his sisters over to meet Harry’s family yet, he didn’t want to expose them to the chaos without giving them an idea of what they would be facing. 

But altogether, they were a nice family. They were all kind, and Louis actually felt welcome in their home, despite the entire emptiness of the house, no furniture and all. It felt closer to being home than when Louis would go to his other friends’ homes. 

“So, Louis, what do you like to do?” Harry asked, sipping his lemonade. His mum had left the room to deal with the many cardboard boxes in the other rooms, and occasionally the two boys heard her rummaging around. Louis smiled cheerfully. “Um,” he stammered, “I like listening to music, I guess. And football,” he added quickly, seeing the slight furrow of Harry’s eyebrows, the unimpressed look in his mesmerizing green eyes. He didn’t want to underwhelm Harry with what he did, but honestly, Louis wasn’t sure of what he liked to do. 

Most of the time, he just hung around his mates and did whatever they wanted to do that day, depending on the mood. Even if it was something as stupid as going on a drive around downtown Doncaster or hanging outside of a greasy fast food restaurant while his friends checked out all the pretty girls from the local colleges, or if they went over to one of their houses and just played video games until they got bored again. Thinking back on it, Louis didn’t ever have much fun. He guessed he just played along with it like virtually everything else in his life, but he didn’t actually know what he personally liked doing, or an activity he genuinely enjoyed. 

  
  


So, on the one hand, he didn’t have an answer for Harry, but he didn’t want to lie to him either. Harry was a nice kid, and he didn’t want to ruin their potential for a friendship by lying to the boy. He had a feeling Harry didn’t like dishonesty. It was just a gut feeling, but it prompted him to admit, “I don’t really know, actually. I’ve been pretty busy, you know, with school and all,” he added, which was only half of a lie. He was busy, maybe he was exaggerating how busy exactly, but he really had been busy. But he wasn’t about to concentrate on that. Time for a deflection. 

“What about you, Harry?” He asked, sipping his lemonade, sweet and sour. The curly haired boy smiled, thinking to himself. “Well, I like loads of different things,” he started. Louis nodded, listening eagerly for what Harry had to say. He hadn’t expected to feel this entranced by the conversation, but there he was. “I was in a band, but I’m not anymore,” Harry explained. “My friends are going to keep doing it but I can’t do it, not now that I’ve moved all the way here.”

“I bet,” Louis said, agreeing with Harry. “Holmes Chapel is a long way from here.” Harry nodded. “Yeah,” he sighed sadly. “I used to do a lot of things back there that I can’t do now. I had a job,” he added. Louis raised his eyebrows, nodding. “What was your job?” He asked Harry. 

Harry blushed. “I worked in a bakery,” he admitted sheepishly. Louis smiled. “That sounds fun,” he said. Harry grinned. “Thanks,” he said. “You’re the first person to think that.”

Louis smiled again, nodding. “Of course,” he said, flashing one of his grins. “What did you do in the bakery?” 

“I didn’t actually bake,” Harry said, in order to clarify. “I just worked behind the counter and stuff. I’d ring up the customers, you know,” he added, gesturing awkwardly with his hands, a little large for his age. Louis took note of that, arching a brow and silently smiling to himself. “Still sounds cool,” he said, making Harry grin, “I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t think that’s cool. Like, you get to go into the back rooms where they have all the cakes,” Louis added. “You’d be the coolest friend; I’d always go to you for snacks or summat.”

“Thanks,” Harry said, flashing a toothy smile. He had a pretty smile. Louis liked his smile. It was contagious, and soon, Louis found himself grinning as well, all memory of Emma Baker gone from his mind. For once, he felt himself calm down and live in the moment, instead of constantly catching himself thinking about other things or wishing he could be anywhere else in the world. 

It was peaceful. 

“So, where do you go to school?” Harry asked. Louis nodded, smiling as he answered, “Hall Cross Academy. It’s a little while north of here, about a ten minute drive. Almost thirty minute’s walking,” he added, smiling. Harry’s jaw dropped, and he laughed, amused. Louis furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Harry shook his head, clarifying, “I’m going to Hall Cross too! Starting Monday.”

“Wow,” Louis said, surprised. He grinned, feeling happy that Harry would actually be going to the same school as he was. Maybe he could show him around, introduce him to his mates…

And then it hit Louis that he was accruing like two different people. First, there was this relaxed version of him that enjoyed talking with Harry and drinking lemonade and having a whole fucking conversation about bakeries. Then, there was the other version of him, the one he played most of the time. This version of Louis badmouthed his teachers so his friends would laugh, he chased after girls, he rarely smiled, and even when he did, it was fake. 

Harry wouldn’t like to be friends with that version of Louis.

So he was torn. On the one hand, he wanted to keep this connection he felt with Harry living. He wanted to be his friend and talk about the little things, like bakeries and lemonade and Holmes Chapel bands. But he didn’t want to ruin the reputation he’d built up over the years. 

And he had to admit, he felt sad thinking about that version of Louis. He didn’t know what he liked to do, for Christ’s sake. He was just a shell of a person, someone who couldn’t tell what he even wanted. He was just a poor imitation of your typical emo student, long fringe and angry music and all. Maybe he should work on that. Maybe he should turn off The Killer’s every once in a while, and go to talk with his mum or something. 

For now, he just resolved to try and keep up both versions of Louis. He could have his cake and eat it too, and whoever thought he wouldn’t be able to was frankly a bit of a stupid dickhead. He’d figure out a way to balance his friendship with Harry and his friendships with his mates. 

“That’s really cool,” Louis said. “I can’t wait. I could show you around and stuff.” Harry smiled. He leaned over on the counter, propping his elbow up on the granite surface and resting his chin in the palm of his hand. “So,” he said, eyes glancing off into the distance, resting his sight on the opposing wall. The wallpaper was peeling, its colorful floral pattern fading. “What’s your favorite thing to do at Hall Cross?” 

“That’s a hard one,” Louis said, chuckling to himself. “Um, there’s a play every year.” Harry nodded, turning back to look at Louis, their eyes locking. “So you do theater?” He asked. Louis shook his head, stifling a laugh. “No,” he said. “I like watching it, though.” Harry’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Why?” He asked. “If you like it, why don’t you give it a try?” Louis shrugged. “I guess it’s just not something that’s really cool,” he explained. “Not a lot of my mates do it.”

Harry only looked more confused. “Well, who gives a shit what they think?” He asked. “As long as you like what you’re doing and it’s not affecting anybody, then it’s fine. Just as long as you’re not hurting anybody with what you like to do.” Louis smiled. “Thanks,” he said. “I’m not sure I’m cut out for musicals, though.”

“I’m sure you’d do great,” Harry offered. “Plus, you’ll never know if you never try.” Louis sighed, smiling. “Maybe,” he said. “I’ll think about it.” Harry grinned. “Well, if you get into anything, then I’ll come watch you in it,” he said. “I promise. I know you’ll be amazing.” Louis smiled, and he felt himself blushing. He tried to force it down, and he reached up to rub his cheeks, hiding his flushed cheeks. 

They turned to the doorway into the hall as they heard Harry’s mum come back in. She held a box in her hands, resting the side on her hip. She smiled at the two boys. “Hello,” she said. “How have things been?”

“Pretty good,” Harry answered cheerfully. She smiled. “That’s lovely,” she said, turning to Louis. “It’s so nice to meet a friend so quickly,” she added with a soft smile of gratitude. Louis grinned. “It’s my pleasure,” he said.”And hey, I live right across the street,” he added cheerfully, “anytime you wanna come over, you can.” 

Harry blushed. “Thank you,” he said, grinning toothily. “Hey, Mum, guess what?”

“What?” She asked, smiling at her son. “Louis goes to Hall Cross,” he said. Her eyebrows raised. “Really?” She said, smiling as she glanced over at Louis. He smiled back at her. “Well, that’s comforting,” she said. “It’s always nice to know that there will be someone to help out, hopefully.” Louis nodded. “Of course,” he promised. “Always.”

She smiled. Glancing down, she set the box on the counter, pursing her lips. “Harry, love,” she said. Her son looked up at her. “Can you go out to the car and grab the box I have with all the plates?” She asked. “Robin and Gems should be back soon, and they’re grabbing a pizza, so we should probably eat as soon as they get back.”

“Got it,” Harry said, grabbing the keys to the car as he jumped down from his chair. Louis watched as he ran across the room, opening the front door and closing it with a slam almost immediately afterwards. Anne sighed, turning to Louis. “Hey, I hope this isn’t overstepping,” she said. Louis nodded, listening eagerly. “Harry hasn’t always had a great time in school, and I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind just showing him around, you know, but also being there for him?” Louis’ eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She added quietly, even though they were the only ones in the house, “He’s dealt with his fair share of bullies before. I just don’t want to see him go through something like that again.”

Louis nodded. “Of course,” he said. She smiled. “Thank you so much, love,” she said. “It’s comforting to know you’ll be there to look out for him.” He flashed her one of his signature grins. “You got it,” he said. “I’ll look out for him, don’t worry. Plus, he’s a nice kid, I’m sure he’ll make friends quickly.”

She nodded. The door opened, and just like that, her mood switched from quiet and somber to cheery and hopeful as she smiled at her son walking in with the box of plates in his hands. “Thank you, darling,” she said, reaching out to help him with the box. He grinned. “No problem,” he sighed, taking a deep breath. She turned to Louis. “You could stay for dinner if you want,” she offered. Louis smiled, shaking his head. “No, but thank you,” he said, glancing at his watch. He raised his eyebrows upon realizing he’d almost been there for an hour and a half. “I should actually be getting back right about now,” he chuckled. “Thanks for having me.”

Harry’s mum smiled. “Of course,” she said warmly. “It was lovely getting to meet you, and thank you for the cookies!” He grinned. “I’ll have to thank my mum on your behalf, it was all her doing,” he explained. She nodded. He turned to Harry, waving as he turned to leave. “See you Monday!” He called, gently closing the door behind him. 

The rain had only barely picked up, as well as the wind. There had been a heavy rainfall a few minutes before but it had since subsided, and he could freely walk across the street without fear of getting wet. He smiled as he walked to his house, sighing in content. The visit had been much nicer than he’d expected, and he couldn’t believe how fast it had taken for him to become convinced that Harry was going to be a great friend. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment if you have any thoughts about the story so far!! xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Louis dragged himself out of bed on Monday morning. He didn’t want to go to school, but there he was. With sleepy eyes, he pulled the blankets away from himself, got up and got dressed. He kept blinking, trying to keep himself from dozing off. He stood in the middle of his room, his shirt only half-buttoned, his fly undone, his laces were yet to be tied. He was in no way excited to go to school or see his friends. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t like going. He just didn’t look forward to  endless hours of his teachers droning on and on, probably sneaking a private lecture for his “bad behavior,” and then it would be followed by a couple hours spent at a friend’s house. They’d agreed on Calvin’s place today, Louis was pretty sure. Calvin had a nice place. It wasn’t as nice as Stan’s, but it was nicer than the others. This was something that had actually become a point of contention between them, whose parents owned the nicest house. Louis never thought about his house as small or in disrepair before, but their constant bickering over it made him realize the way they’d never fixed the screens in the upstairs windows, or how the bathroom sink went through periods of functioning properly and then not working like it should. 

Louis liked it better before they’d begun to argue over that. As of late, things within their friend group were just growing more toxic and tainted. Like when Stan got with Olivia after she and Olly broke up and the two boys argued for weeks and tried to make Louis and Calvin choose which of the two of them they wanted to stay friends with. Calvin chose Stan. Louis didn’t want things to be ripped completely apart, so he chose Olly to balance things out. After a couple of weeks, Stan dumped Olivia and he and Olly went back to seemingly being the best of friends, and they began to talk about Olivia. Louis didn’t like the way they laughed about her at lunch for a consistent two weeks, but he was too indifferent to stop it. He just zoned out, his eyes drifting over towards the different lunch tables. The cheerleaders were right across from them, and they looked nice, and most of them were pretty friendly towards Louis. The jocks were right beside the cheerleaders, a treat for the eyes, certainly, although Louis never really talked to any of them. Other than that, there were the typical high schools cliques, but nobody really cared about that. Most people just hung around their friends at lunch. It was the only time to talk to them without getting in trouble. 

Which made Louis think: it was Harry’s first day at school. He didn’t have any friends yet (well, besides Louis.) He wasn’t going to have anyone to sit with at lunch unless Louis helped him out a bit. Louis made a mental note to show Harry around. He might be the only person who could. 

Sighing, he buttoned his shirt and the fly of his jeans, and he laced his shoelaces. He glanced into the mirror above his desk, looking into his own reflection. He looked tired (which he was) and his hair was all spiky, sticking up in weird places. He ran his fingers through his shortened hair, trying to smooth it down to no avail. He grunted in frustration, but left it alone as he turned around, pulling the covers back over his bed. It looked messy and lumpy, but he ignored it as he pulled his door open, trodding down the stairs.

Even going down the stairs, he could hear the noise from the dining room. He heard Lottie and Fizzy bickering over something random, and the twins were laughing at something else (probably Louis’ mum making funny faces.) His feet touched down on the ground floor, and he yawned as he walked through the hallway. The light shone through the window, made of frosted glass. The shoes all sat in a line by the bench near the door. His muddy trainers sat right beside his mum’s. 

“Hey, darling,” she said as soon as he turned the corner into the kitchen. She sat right beside Daisy, helping her with her breakfast and encouraging her to eat her cereal. His dad sat further down, next to Phoebe. Louis smiled weakly in his mum’s direction, a stark contrast to her bright grin. “Hey,” he drawled, rubbing at his eyes again. Her face softened at the sight, but her attention for him was short lived. Soon enough, Daisy started babbling something and Jay turned back to her younger daughter. Louis sighed, walking over to the kitchen counter. He grabbed the cereal, something sugary and almost eaten up entirely. He shook the cereal out into a plastic bowl, and poured the milk over it. He picked it up, sighing as he slumped his shoulders, leaning against the chapters. He glanced over at the dining table, inadvertently locking eyes with his mum. 

“Aren’t you going to come sit down?” She asked inquisitively. He hesitated for a moment, but shook his head. Her eyebrows furrowed close together as she frowned. She opened her mouth to say something, but she had to turn towards Daisy upon the toddler’s demands. “Can you please come sit with us?” She said. He shrugged. “Why?” He asked. “It’s not like we won’t have dinner tonight.” Jay looked unimpressed, arching a brow. Louis could see his dad glancing up at him as he talked with his mum. He didn’t look like he was about to engage in the conversation, but the look was warning, like he was prepared to get involved if the small jabs turned into an argument, like before. 

“Louis,” Jay said warningly. “Can you please come sit down with us?” He sighed, closing his eyes to keep his mum from seeing the way he tried to keep himself from rolling his eyes. He pursed his lips as he walked over to the table, plopping down in the empty chair next to Lottie. He glowered down at his cereal as he chewed angrily, not even realizing how all the chairs at the table were finally taken. 

“Did you put the milk away?” His mum asked. He shook his head, pushing his chair back as he got up to put it away, an inevitable question he was going to get asked. The chair made a screeching sound as he pushed it against the floor, making Lottie jump. He ignored her without even apologizing as he walked over to the counter, snatching up the milk carton and shoving it into its place inside the fridge, closing the door loudly. 

When he turned back to the table, all eyes were on him. He hadn’t even realized how tightly he’d been holding the door handle of the refrigerator until he let go, prying his fingers away. He looked down at them as he walked back over in silence, questioning the sudden surliness that had come over him and compelled him to hold a door handle so tightly his knuckles turned white and the calluses on his palms a pinkish red. He took in a shuddery breath as he ate his cereal in silence, hurrying to drop his empty bowl into the sink, the leftover milk and excess sugar draining into the bottom of the sink. Without even saying goodbye, he turned to walk out of the room, grabbing his school bag and walking out into the cool morning, the end of summer drawing close. 

\---

Louis sighed as he watched the clock, waiting for them to be released from class. He was hungry, and he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. The cereal wasn’t very filling, and he knew his lunch was minimal as well, he’d packed it himself after his mum told him to start doing things for himself, as he was almost an adult. In only a few short months, he’d be applying to colleges, preparing to move out and all that shit. 

He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to go to college. He certainly didn’t know where he’d choose to go should he even go in the first place. Knowing himself, he’d probably just apply wherever his friends ended up choosing. He wasn’t really one to make decisions for himself. He wasn’t abnormally smart, he wasn’t extraordinarily talented at what he tried to do, he was just painfully average. 

After what seemed like forever, the clock hands finally turned the hour. Louis drummed his fingers against his desk with anticipation, but the teacher didn’t look up from his desk. He’d only given them instructions to finish their classwork, and Louis already had, twenty minutes ago. He didn’t want to be there, he wanted to leave. He wanted to go to grab the sandwich he’d made for his lunch before he was hungry. He glowered at the teacher, who still didn’t look up until the bell finally rang, and all of a sudden then his teacher was dismissing them and giving them their homework assignments. Louis rolled his eyes as soon as he stepped out of the classroom and into the crowded hallway. The students all bustled around, chatting noisily. He sighed, holding his bag tightly to his chest as he walked down the crowded hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but notice the flyer for the musical,  _ Grease. Auditions open in two weeks!!  _ it read, and Louis sighed wistfully, ignoring the flyer and moving on. He’d have to buy a ticket for himself when they started selling them; he was glad they were doing a musical he actually knew and liked. His mum had put it on for him when he was fourteen, and he’d found himself almost fangirling over John Travolta with his tight pants and leather jacket hugging every inch of his skin. He rolled his eyes. He still liked the film, although he couldn’t say he still held the same enthusiasm for it as he used to. 

He made his way to his locker and he grabbed his sandwich as quickly as he could, heading straight for the cafeteria. He knew where to go, the same table he always sat at. “Hey,” he heard a familiar voice call. He turned around, seeing Harry all cheerful with his lunch tray. He was clearly very happy to see Louis, judging by the way he walked over towards Louis with a bright grin on his face. Louis smiled, a little flustered. He glanced over at his lunch table with the rest of his friends out of the corner of his eye. They were already gathering, gossiping, no doubt. Louis swallowed hard. He’d completely forgotten about having to show Harry around, and he felt like a total dick for doing so. He smiled nervously when Harry walked up to him. “Hey,” he said. “How’re you doing?” Harry smiled. “I’m doing well, thanks,” he said. 

Louis nodded. “How’s your first day been?” He asked. Harry shrugged. “S’ been pretty good, I guess,” he said. “People have been nice. There’s some boys in my class that I was talking to this morning. Maybe you know them?”

“Doubtful,” Louis said, chuckling nervously. He could feel anxious as he watched his friends out of the corner of his eyes. He couldn’t introduce Harry to them now, he hadn’t even mentioned Harry to them yet. They were probably going to tell him all about everything Louis had done and everyone Louis had done (which, to be fair, was nobody, but they didn’t know that.) Louis didn’t want Harry thinking that about him yet, so he chose to lie. “I don’t have any friends in your level.” Harry’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Well, you’ve got me, haven’t you?” He asked, laughing slightly. Louis couldn’t help but smile at Harry’s amusement. “Hey, I was wondering if maybe I could sit with you?” He asked Louis. The blue eyed boy felt a jolt of fear running down his spine, and quickly he blurted out, “Actually, I’m going to be studying with my friends. Sorry,” he added apologetically, seeing the flash of disappointment in Harry’s green eyes. 

Harry shook his head. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You have fun… studying. I’ll go find my friends from earlier.” Louis nodded, waving goodbye as Harry left in search of the other boy. He couldn’t lie, he felt a tiny twinge of jealousy in the pit of his stomach watching Harry go off to find his “other friends.” Shaking his head, he walked over in the direction of his friends’ lunch table. 

“Tommo!” Olly cried as Louis sat down reluctantly. “How was your weekend?” Louis sighed, shaking his head. “Shitty,” he said honestly. Well, not entirely. Meeting Harry had been the highlight of the weekend. Or really, it was the highlight of his month so far, but Louis didn’t want to admit that out loud and sound… pathetic, really. Olly’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Why?” He asked, earning a nudge in the side by Calvin’s elbow. “Hey!” he cried. “Whatcha do that for?”

“He fucking broke up with his girlfriend, dumbass, be a little sensitive,” Calvin hissed. Louis rolled his eyes. “Oh, sorry mate,” Olly said. “Emily was nice.” Louis glanced up at his friend. “Emma,” he corrected quietly, under his breath, but no one heard him. 

“S’ no use in moping around,” Stan said, bringing a hand down on Louis’ back, clapping. Louis winced slightly, but kept a smile plastered on his face. “You’ve just got to get some,” he said quietly, smirking smugly as he leaned in to whisper in Louis’ ear. “I know someone I could set you up with.” 

Louis shook his head. “No thanks,” he said. “I’m not interested.” 

“Ooh,” Calvin said slyly. “I wonder why? Unless, of course, there’s someone else on your mind.” Louis couldn’t help the flush in his cheeks. It wasn’t for any reason other than he was just embarrassed by the conversation in general, but clearly it had the opposite effect on the friends surrounding him. “You do!” Calvin cired, pointing a finger accusingly. Louis sighed. 

“New neighbors moved in,” he mumbled, trying desperately to change the subject. “Oh,” Olly said, smirking, his voice practically dripping with smugness. “So, who is it? Hot girl next door?” Louis squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. “No,” he answered truthfully. “I met the son,” he added, explaining, “and his mum. He has a sister but I haven’t talked to her much.”

Stan wrapped an arm around Louis, suddenly asking, “Is the mum hot?” Louis recoiled. “What?” He asked, in complete shock. Stan arched an eyebrow. “You heard me,” he said. “Is the mum hot? C’mon,” he pleaded, seeing Louis’ face of distaste, “you’re almost eighteen.”

Louis shook his head. “She’s married,” he seethed. Stan shrugged. “So?” He said nonchalantly. “Listen, mate, if she’s hot, just go for it.” 

Louis glanced over at Harry, where he sat down, chatting with a blonde kid and another kid who’s floppy hair reminded him of some pop star he’d seen on the telly. Harry looked happy, and he felt a twinge of guilt as he answered, “Ok.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any thoughts?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, i know it's been a while, huh? sorry about that, i just got really tangled up trying to push myself to write updates for three different books. i can't promise consistent or scheduled updates, especially since school is starting soon, but i plan to finish this book, so just bear with me for a little while. your reads and comments mean the world to me, and i hope you love this book as much as i love writing it <3

“Hey,” Stan whispered, dropping his voice as he leaned across the gap between his desk and Louis’ to speak with him. Louis had his eyes focused on the board as the teacher talked, and he was trying his best to write down what she was teaching them as quickly as he could while she spoke. However, he couldn’t help but get distracted by his friend leaning in to whisper to him. He wasn’t one of those people who could concentrate on multiple things at once, so either he was going to take these notes, or he was going to have a secret whispered conversation with his friend. 

On the one hand, he needed to take the notes. He was falling behind in biology, and he needed a good grade on his next test in order to keep up his good marks and to look good on his report card (which his dad had reminded him yet again the night before just how important his grades were in the grand scheme of things, and how colleges and universities looked at your transcripts and he should be working his hardest at this point and slacking off just wasn’t going to cut it anymore.) He shouldn’t let Stan dictate his life and all the decisions he made for the sake of a friendship. 

But on the other hand, Stan was his friend. And Louis had a reputation to keep up for maintaining this friendship, so why should he just ignore Stan? It could rub off the wrong way and Stan might say something, and that could set off a whole chain of events that Louis couldn’t help but think over. So, he thought, fuck it. He’d try his best to multitask. 

“Hey,” he said underneath his breath. “Did you want something?” He asked, glancing once more towards the board as he quickly scribbled down the notes the teacher had written before she erased them. He held his pencil tightly with his slender fingers. “Yeah,” Stan said quickly and quietly. “You know Malia?” He asked. 

Louis thought for a moment. “She’s the one with the nose ring?” He asked, and Stan nodded. “Yeah, I’ve met her. She’s Emma’s friend,” he said. “Why?”

“I’ve been seeing her for a month or so,” Stan explained. “She’s kinda hot, you know.” Louis shrugged. “Who am I to decide that?” He asked, but Stan didn’t seem to hear him. “Yeah,” Louis’ friend said, almost grinning stupidly, “but I was going to ask you- so her mum and dad are throwing her a big birthday party. And I mean big,” Stan whispered, stressing the point. “Her dad is  _ loaded.  _ She’s invited me,” he added, grinning. “I was just wondering if you knew if I should get a present for her or summat.”

Louis’ eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as he glanced back at the board, writing down the new notes their teacher had written. “How would I know?” He asked. Stan shrugged, fiddling with his pencil and flicking it over his closed notebook, drumming out a quiet rhythm. “I don’t know,” he said. “You went to Emma’s birthday party, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Louis said. “But I took her out for dinner a couple days later, and that was her present from me.” Stan nodded, pursing his lips. “Ok, I could take her for dinner,” he said. “Do you think that would raise my chances?”

“Of what?” Louis said, already cringing at what he expected to be the answer. Stan smirk. “You know,” he said slyly, “of getting some.” Louis grimaced at the answer, struggling to refrain from rolling his eyes. “You’re gross,” he said, and Stan chuckled. “You can’t handle it?” He asked. “Didn’t you and Emma ever-”

“No,” Louis said quickly. Stan’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he smiled slightly. “C’mon,” he said, “don't’ lie. You guys dated for a while, you must’ve done something; at the very least, third base.” Louis shook his head, sighing. “I’m telling you, we didn’t do anything. Not even third base,” he said quickly, noticing the snide glimmer in Stan’s eyes, a sure sign that he was going to ask something even more invasive. “I don’t need sex to have a relationship with someone,” He added. 

He glanced up in an attempt to catch the notes- and he was too late. His teacher had already erased them, and now she’d turned back to them, addressing them and telling them the homework. He made sure to write the assignment down, already cursing himself for talking to Stan instead of writing down the last section of notes. 

“Honestly, you just need to get laid,” Stan groaned as soon as they left the classroom. Louis shut his eyes, just wishing for this conversation to be over. “Christ, Stan,” he muttered. “There’s people around.” His friend shrugged. “So?” He asked dismissively. “What’s keeping you from finding someone to- you know-  _ do it  _ with?” He arched an eyebrow as he smirked. Louis sighed. “Nothing,” he said. “I just don’t need to. There’s more important things to do.”

Stan scoffed. “What?” He asked. “You're telling me that you literally go from school to your home with nothing in between and you have more important things to do in between then? Honestly, Tommo, you might be the most boring person ever,” he laughed. 

Louis swallowed. The comment stung, but he brushed it off. “What’s wrong with that?” He seethed. “You don’t do anything,” Stan said. “You come to my house, you go home, you go to school. Honestly, you just don’t get excited about anything and I don’t want to see you like this forever. I’m sorry,” he added, sounding sincere for once. “I just wish I could see you happier. About anything- not just girls,” he explained. “You don’t like playing footie with us anymore, you just follow us around, sort of, you just seem unenthusiastic.”

“Well, I’m glad you said something,” Louis muttered sarcastically. “It’s my life and I don’t have to be excited about every fucking thing that happens.” He turned sharply, reaching for his locker. Stan threw his hands up in the air. “Don’t be mad,” he said. 

Louis sighed, shaking his head. He wasn’t mad. No, he couldn’t be mad. It was the truth, it just… stung. 

He glanced over at the opposing wall, looking wistfully at the auditions poster. Maybe that was something he was excited for, but it wasn’t like he was going to audition. He couldn’t even sing, as far as he knew, and if he went onstage, he knew he’d just end up making more of a joke of himself. 

“You ready?” Stan asked. Louis looked back over at his friend, shoving his books into his bag. “Yeah,” he said. “Are we going to yours or Calvin’s today?” 

“Cal’s,” Stan answered. Louis nodded, walking down the halls. Everybody just seemed so distant. And maybe there was truth to what Stan was saying, and he should put out more into this world. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel so empty, and useless. 

And about what they were talking about at lunch… maybe he should try to shoot his shot with Harry’s mum. He was almost legal, just a couple of months before his birthday. And as for Robin… well, things would work out the way they were meant to be, huh? Besides, Harry’s mum-  _ Anne,  _ he had to correct himself- was beautiful. Green eyes, and soft curls, and a bright smile that lit up the whole room… and Louis could feel a tiny flutter in the pit of his stomach. 

“Hey there,” Olly called, a grin on his face. Calvin followed him. Louis nodded towards them, acknowledging their presence. “I was thinking,” Calvin said. “What if we went to eat out? I heard there’s a football game on, maybe we could catch it at some bar or summat,” he explained. “My mum’s got her program on right about now,” he added, almost apologetically. “We could go to mine but we wouldn’t be able to watch anything.”

“What do you think, Louis?” Louis glanced up from his feet, looking around at his friends. He took in a breath. He didn’t think anything. Stan was right. He’d just follow them anywhere. 

He was about to answer, and then his gaze shifted focus, and he saw a familiar face walking behind them. Harry was grinning brightly, and Louis smiled as well, like it was contagious. He was talking to his newfound friends, reaching up to brush his hair out of his eyes, and Louis suddenly lost all the words he was about to say. 

“I’ve got to go,” he blurted out. His friends looked confused, but he added quickly, “I just remembered, my mum wanted me to do some errands- sorry.” He finished, already pushing away from them. ”I’ll see you tomorrow!” 

They just looked confused, shaking their heads as he walked further and further away from them. He sighed in relief, smiling softly as he looked around the crowd, eyes scanning for that familiar head of curls. He smiled even more brightly once he spotted Harry, walking alone. He reached an arm out, opening the school doors, and then he was outside, and Louis lost him again. Picking up his pace, he pushed his way through the swarm of high school students in his efforts to reach Harry. 

He pushed out the door, and was met with blaring sunlight. He squinted, holding up a hand to shield his eyes. It hadn’t been sunny that morning, which made the sudden weather change even more surprising. He blinked once, twice, then shook his head, pushing forward. He could still catch up with Harry. 

He spotted the boy walking ahead of him, maybe twenty meters away from him. He felt his feet hitting the pavement as he walked quickly, not trying to look like he was running after the boy. That would be a little embarrassing.

Harry had his headphones on, a little smile on his face as he walked in front of Louis. He nodded his head to the beat of the song, his fingers twitching. It looked like he was trying to play the piano in the air- or maybe he was trying to drum it out. Either way, it was clearly a learned habit, and Louis was definitely going to be asking him about that later. He was curious to know if Harry played an instrument, and maybe he could show Louis sometime if he did. 

Finally caught up to the green eyed boy, Louis reached out his right hand, extending his index finger, and he tapped Harry’s shoulder. Harry turned around, a little confused and the sudden touch. And then, his face lit up. Louis smiled back at him as Harry lifted his headphones off and let them rest on his shoulders, around his neck. 

“Hey!” He cried happily, grinning at Louis. “How was your day?” Louis smiled. “It was pretty good,” he said. “Sorry I that I kind of ditched you at lunch, by the way-”

“Oh, no worries,” Harry said dismissively, waving his hand. “It’s fine. I found another table to sit at, and they were nice.”

Louis nodded, his smile faltering slightly. “Nice,” he said. “I knew you’d make friends. You’re that charming type- you know,” he said, gesturing with his hands. Harry smiled softly, blushing very slightly. “Thanks,” he grinned. “That’s what Liam said, too.”

“Liam?”

“One of the boys I sat at lunch with,” Harry explained. “He’s the one with the long hair.” Louis frowned. “The blonde?” He asked. Harry shook his head. “That’s Niall. Liam’s the other one. He’s got darker hair,” he added. 

“Oh, the one with the Justin Bieber hair,” Louis said, grinning to himself. “I see.” Harry stifled a laugh. “Yeah, I’ve seen him around,” Louis continued. “I don’t think we’ve talked. You know, he’s at a different level.”

“We aren’t in the same classes, but we’re still talking,” Harry pointed out. Louis could feel his breath hitch as Harry asked, “Are we friends?” Louis swallowed. “I mean, if that’s what you want, then yeah, I guess,” Louis stammered, feeling oddly nervous. “I’d like to be your friend.”

Harry smiled. “Good,” he said, and he turned, walking off. Louis’ eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, and he glanced down at his feet briefly. Then, it suddenly hit him that while he stared dumbly at the gravel beneath his feet, Harry was walking ahead of him. Scurrying after him, Louis asked breathlessly, “Do you want to be my friend?”

“Of course,” Harry said with a little chuckle. “I thought that was established already.” Louis nodded, although he was still a little confused. 

“Well, I sat with Liam and Niall,” Harry said. “Oh, and Zayn too. You should come sit with us tomorrow,” he offered excitedly. “They’re funny, you would like them.” Louis shrugged. “I dunno,” he said awkwardly. Harry frowned. “I usually study with my friends at lunch,” he lied. “We want to get homework and stuff done so we can do things later in the day.”

“I see,” Harry said. “But it would be nice if you could sit with us. Maybe you could just take one day off from that?” He suggested. Louis shrugged. “Maybe,” he mused. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“You’d like it, I promise,” Harry said. “Plus, they’re all into different things. Zayn does art and stuff- he’s really good,” the green eyed boy gushed, “he does all these sketches, and they look real. It’s crazy. And Niall does guitar, and Liam does theater.”

Louis arched a brow. “Theater, huh?” He asked absentmindedly. “I saw that they were going to do Grease this year. That's cool,” he added. Harry nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I thought about trying out, but Grease isn’t really my favorite. Danny’s pretty full of himself, isn’t he?” 

Louis’ eyebrows furrowed together. “What?” he asked, laughing slightly. Harry shrugged. “Sandy just has to change her whole persona so they can date,” he pointed out. “M’ not sure that’s a great message to spread. Girls shouldn’t have to change who they are just for some boy.”

“Well, yeah,” Louis said, “but Danny spent the whole moving trying to change for Sandy. He tried out for all those sports and stuff, remember?” Harry looked at him curiously as Louis continued, “I feel like it’s less about a whole ‘moral of the story’ and more about changing and growing up. It was 1959,” he added, “and Sandy is more symbolic of how the world transformed in the 60s. She doesn’t conform to 50s ideals anymore and she’s expressing her sexuality without feeling afraid.”

“Wow,” Harry said, in awe. “You’ve done your research.” Louis shrugged. “It’s one of my favorite movies,” he explained. “My mum always played it, and it's really cool.”

“You should try out for it, then,” Harry said suddenly. Louis hesitated, and Harry continued, “Come on! Clearly, you love it. Plus, you’d be great as Danny,” he added. Louis scoffed. “You just said Danny’s full of himself, and now you’re saying I’d be good at playing him,” he laughed. “What sort of backhanded compliment is that?”

Harry flushed pink with embarrassment. “Sorry,” he said, and Louis shook his head. “No, don’t worry,” he said. “It’s not a big deal.” He took a breath. “I’m not going to be trying out for the musical, though,” he clarified. 

“Why not?” Harry asked. “Are you too busy?” Louis shook his head. “Do you have stage fright?” 

“I don’t think so,” Louis said. Harry smiled softly. “Then you should go for it,” he encouraged Louis. “And don’t worry about what people think. Let ‘em talk.”

Louis nodded, grinning. “Thanks,” he said, feeling all warm and happy inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any thoughts?


End file.
